A Fun and Exciting Outdoor Art Project

Splatter painting, or action painting, has been around for nearly a century. Making art using large gestures, globs of paint, smearing, and paint splatter is an art technique used by the abstract expressionists and artists like Joan Mitchell and Jackson Pollock. Enjoy this fun art activity with your children or students.

Art supplies you will need
You will need large pieces of art paper. Butcher paper will do nicely for splatter paint art. Gather a large amount of art brushes, spoons, and any other type of object that can be used to spread paint. Use washable, non-toxic art paint for this art project. Have the children wear old t-shirts or art smocks, and encourage them to pull back their hair. Have large buckets of water, rags, and paper towels handy.

It is highly recommended that this art project take place outside. If you must do the splatter paint project inside, cover the floor with newspapers, put away any items that might be stained by the paint, and give the children very, very specific instructions on putting paint only on the canvases. Indoors you will have to restrict any large gestures, but can emphasize using different art materials and gently pouring and smearing the paint on the art paper.

Before you begin your art project
Show the children different art examples of action painting. Explain the textures, the artists, and the art technique involved. Have them join in the conversation with their own creative art ideas. You might want to include various printmaking materials, as well.

If you do decide to use large gesture painting, you can choose to have the art paper hanging vertically, set on a table, or set on the floor or pavement. Smaller splatter gestures can be made by flicking the brushes of a toothbrush covered in paint. Smearing can be made with palette knives or with plastic utensils and unsharpened pencils.

Give specific instructions to the children regarding what is and is not allowed. Good rules can be only getting paint on the paper, not painting each other, cleaning up after themselves, and always wash brushes when they are finished. In one instance, I had the opportunity to do the project indoors in a room that could be painted. The children enjoyed making very, very messy art for two hours, then helped me clean up the floor afterward. In more controlled situations, I set up two large tables in the center of a room, layered newspapers on the floor, and gave specific instructions on doing the action painting.

Time for Splatter Paint Art
You may want to group paints by warm and cool colors, complimentary colors, or other arrangements. Have the children dip their brushes in the paint and begin splattering, smearing, and dropping paint on their art paper. Lively music can aid in the creative process. For fun, have one or two extremely large pieces of paper available for a class project. When the paintings are complete, you can hang them up on display.